Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The Qur’an As Reflected In Nahj Al-Balaghah

Author: Professor Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi

Translator and typesetter: Mansoor Limba

Project supervisor: Translation Unit, Cultural Affairs Department

Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly (ABWA)

Editor: Iffat Shah

Proofreader: Majid Karimi

Publisher: ABWA Publishing and Printing Center

First Printing: 2010

ISBN: 978-964-529-572-9

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Transliteration Symbols 4

Preface 5

Introduction 7

Notes 8

Chapter 1: The Status of the Qur’an in Religious Society 10

The Qur’an as the only heavenly book at the disposal of mankind 10

The Qur’anic mode of speech 11

The Apostle (S) and explanation of the Qur’an 12

Mentioning two points 13

The role of the Qur’an in life 13

The Qur’an as the universal source of guidance 14

An example of the general ways of the Qur’an 15

Manifestation of divine grace in the establishment of the Islamic government 16

The solution to social problems lies in following the Qur’an 16

Organizing social affairs according to the guidelines of the Qur’an 17

The role of an objective in social life 18

Self-sufficiency lies in following the Qur’an 21

The Qur’an as a panacea for the most serious maladies 22

The wisdom behind some calamities 24

Outward and real respect for the Holy Qur’an 27

The Qur’an as the true light 28

Qur’anic lamps and reflections 29

Deliverance of the followers of the Qur’an on the Day of Resurrection 31

Admonition and reminder 32

The secret of success and the role of the Qur’an 33

Ibrahim (‘a) as a model of submission and servitude in the Holy Qur’an 34

Notes 36

Chapter 2: Understanding and Interpreting the Qur’an 37

The main problem 37

The advice of ‘Ali (‘a) in dealing with the Qur’an 38

Speculative interpretation [tafsir bi ’r-ra’y] 39

The instruction of ‘Ali (‘a) to avoid speculative interpretation 40

Two perspectives on the Qur’an and religious teachings 41

The necessity of acquiring competence in understanding and interpreting the Qur’an 45

Different degrees of meaning and understanding of Qur’anic concepts 46

Confining the Apostle (S) and infallible Imams’ (‘a) interpretation of the Qur’an to the exposition of laws 48

Acquiring the knowledge provided by the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) as a prerequisite in understanding and interpreting the Qur’an 49

Interpreting the Qur’an by means of the Qur’an 50

Observing the principles and rules of intellectual discourse in understanding the Qur’an 51

The understanding of exegetes commensurates with their competence 51

The necessity of paying attention to the linguistic contexts 52

The existence of literary beauties in the Holy Qur’an 52

Notes 53

Chapter 3: The Qur’an and the Cultural Onslaught 55

The contradictory nature of truth and falsehood 55

The alleged inaccessibility of the truth of religion 57

Inculcation and repetition as a key weapon of the devils 59

Citing the allegorical verses [mutashabihat] of the Qur’an as another way of confronting the Qur’an 59

The wisdom behind the existence of allegorical verses [mutashabihat] in the Qur’an 60

Amalgamation of truth and falsehood as another weapon of the deviators 63

“Different interpretations” as a weapon in confronting the Qur’an 64

Motives of the opponents of religious culture according to the Qur’an 65

The Qur’anic stance vis-à-vis sedition [fitnah] in religion 67

1. Armed sedition 67

2. Cultural sedition 67

The warning of the Qur’an against cultural sedition 68

Polytheism [shirk] under a new garb 68

The prediction of the Qur’an about the emergence of sedition in religion 69

The prediction of fitnah after his demise by the Apostle (S) 70

1. Financial fitnah 70

2. Ideological fitnah 71

3. False justifications as the most dangerous fitnah 72

Obscuring the atmosphere with the aim of misleading public opinion 73

Distorters of religious teachings according to ‘Ali (‘a) 73

Pseudo-Muslim materialists’ treatment of the Qur’an 76

Imam ‘Ali’s (‘a) warning to the people 77

The motive of pseudo-learned ignoramuses in distorting religious teachings according to ‘Ali (‘a) 79

Notes 81

Transliteration Symbols

Preface

In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful

The preservation of the precious legacy left behind by the Holy Prophet’s Household [ahl al-bayt] (may peace be upon them all) by their followers from the menace of extinction is exemplified by an all-encompassing school [maktab], which covers all the different branches of Islamic knowledge and trains sincere seekers of the truth.

It has on its list of scholars many talented personalities who have benefited from this immense wealth of knowledge. This school has presented scholars to the Muslim ummah who, by following the Holy Prophet’s Household (‘a), have been granted the authority to remove doubts and skepticism encountered by various creeds and intellectual trends both inside and outside the Muslim society, and have throughout the past centuries, presented the firmest answers and solutions to these doubts.

Anchored in the responsibilities it is shouldering, the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly has embarked upon defending the sanctity of risalah [apostleship] and its authentic beliefs - truths which have always been opposed by chiefs and leaders of anti-Islamic sects, religions and trends.

The Assembly regards itself as a follower of the upright pupils of the Ahl al-Bayt’s (‘a) school - those who have always, based on the expediencies of time and space, logically refuted all accusations and been foremost in their efforts to clarify all misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

The empirical knowledge preserved in their books (of the scholars of the Ahl al-Bayt’s (‘a) school) is unique because it is based upon intellect and reasoning, devoid of any iota of blind prejudice, whims or caprice. It addresses experts, scholars and thinkers in a manner that is acceptable to a healthy human mind [fitrah].

In order to disseminate the truth, the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly has included this valuable knowledge within the framework of research and writing of contemporary Shi‘ah writers or those who, through divine guidance, embrace this noble school.

This Assembly is also engaged in the study and publication of valuable works of pious predecessors and outstanding Shi‘ah personalities so that seekers of truth can quench their thirst from this refreshing fountain of knowledge offered by the Holy Prophet’s Household (‘a) as a gift to the entire world.

It is hoped that our readers do not deprive the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly of their valuable views and suggestions as well as constructive criticism in this arena.

We also invite scholars, translators and other institutions to assist us in propagating the pure Muhammadan Islam.

We ask God the Exalted, to accept this trivial effort and enhance it further under the auspices of His vicegerent on earth, Hadhrat al-Mahdi (may Allah the Exalted, expedite his glorious advent).

We express our utmost gratitude to Professor Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi for writing the book, Mr. Mansoor Limba for translating it, and all our honorable colleagues, especially the dear ones in the Translation Office for accomplishing this task.

Cultural Affairs Department

Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) World Assembly

Introduction

In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful

اَلحَمدُ للهِ رَبِّ العالَمين

و صَلَّى اللهُ عَلىٰ سَيِّدِنَا وَ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ الطّاهِرِينَ وَ لَعنَةُ اللهِ عَلىٰ اَعدائِهِم اَجمَعينَ

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may the blessings of Allah be upon our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his pure progeny, and may the curse of Allah be upon all their enemies.

Although we believe that the Holy Qur’an is the greatest divine gift to mankind and the most precious legacy of the Holy Prophet (S)1 to the Muslims, the Muslim ummah2 has not shown the requisite interest in using this precious legacy. Notwithstanding the repeated emphasis of the Apostle (S) on the obligation to refer to and act upon the Qur’an as the greater of the two weighty things [thiql al-akbar] and to learn the sciences of the Qur’an from the Ahl al-Bayt3 (‘a)4 as the great of the two weighty things [thiql al-kabir], the Muslims neglected his advice of firmly clasping the unifying cord of Allah [habl Allah],5 after his (S) demise, and got divided into sects. Consequently, Muslim society lagged behind its original status which is described in the Qur’an in this manner:

وَأَنتُمُ الأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

“You shall have the upper hand, should you be truthful.”6

Nowadays, one must acknowledge the painful reality that on account of drifting away from the reality of the Qur’an and the knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), Muslim society has incurred irreparable losses.

In spite of drifting away from the reality of the Qur’an and being alienated from this heavenly gem and gift of the All-beneficent, outward heedfulness to it has gained momentum and remarkably increased among Muslims today.

All Muslims recognize the Qur’an as the sacred heavenly scripture revealed to the blessed Apostle (S) on the Night of Ordainment [laylat al-qadr].7 Now, printing the Holy Qur’an on high quality paper with golden covers, reading and memorizing it, mastering the sciences pertaining to its outward aspects such as correct pronunciation and recitation [tajwid] have found a special place in the culture of Muslims. We occasionally witness annual competitions of recitation and memorization of the Holy Qur’an at the international level, and this itself has become a source of prosperity.

Of course, it must not remain unsaid that the ever-growing attention paid to the Holy Qur’an in other Muslim countries has been to some extent due to His Eminence Imam Khomeini (r)8 and the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran because it was after the message of the eminent Imam (r) to the administration of the Two Holy Places [al-haramayn al-sharifayn] (Mecca and Medina) conveyed by a council [shawra] consisting of representatives from many Muslim countries, that Saudi Arabia undertook the reparation and development of the two holy sites along with the printing and distribution of copies of the Qur’an to the Hajj pilgrims from around the world, in order to present itself as the pioneer in propagating Islam and the Qur’an and undermine the attention paid by the Muslims to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Focusing on the outward aspects of the Qur’an and keeping away from its truth has been one of the greatest problems owing to which Muslims have received severe blows. As long as Muslims do not move from the exoteric aspects of the Qur’an towards its esoteric aspects and transform empty rhetoric into practice, the guidance of the Qur’an will not be achieved by them.

This volume is not an attempt to examine the reasons behind the straying of the Muslims from the truth of the Qur’an and the Prophet’s progeny [‘itrah] (‘a) after the passing away of the Holy Prophet (S). It rather endeavors to present some dimensions of the truth of the Qur’an from the viewpoint of Nahj al-Balaghah9 and the Holy Book itself, and to acquaint the readers with the Qur’an and its greatness from the perspective of the Commander of the Faithful (‘a).

It also deals with and addresses some misgivings expressed by certain enemies. In the concluding part, these misgivings are also mentioned through the sermons of ‘Ali (‘a) - the speaking [natiq] Qur’an - and the factors and motives for expressing them.

The subjects of this book are actually the transcript of a series of lectures given by His Eminence Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi in Ramadhan 1419-20 AH (December 21, 1998-January 18, 1999 and December 10, 1999-January 8, 2000) in Qum. The subjects touched by Professor Yazdi are not abridged and disarranged but conversational language has been rendered closer to the written word, with an effort to maintain perfect or total accuracy in compiling and editing this book.

In conclusion, we are thankful to the erudite scholars, Hujjat al-Islam Ahmad Muhammadi for transcribing and compiling the topics of this book, and Hujjat al-Islam Muhammad Mahdi Nadiri Qummi for editing it. We beseech the munificent God for their continued success.

Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute

Notes

1. The abbreviation, “s”, stands for the Arabic invocative phrase, sallallahu ‘alayhiwa alihi wa sallam [may God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny], which is mentioned after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S). [Trans.]

2. Ummah: the entire Islamic community which knows no territorial, racial, national or ethnic distinction. [Trans.]

3. Ahl al-Bayt: according to authentic hadiths recorded in both Sunni and Shi‘ah sources, the term Ahl al-Bayt, and interchangeably ‘Itrah and Al, is a blessed Qur’anic appellation that belongs exclusively to the Prophet, ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husayn (‘a). The members of this Family of five, with the Prophet Muhammad (S) at its head, were the ones alive at the time the Qur’anic verses regarding their virtues were being revealed to the Prophet (S). However, nine other Imams from the descendants of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) are also included in this chosen Family, the final one being Imam al-Mahdi (‘a). For further information, visit: http://www.al-islam.org/ [Trans.]

4. The abbreviation, “‘a” stands for the Arabic invocative phrase, ‘alayhi’s-salam, ‘alayhim’us-salam, or ‘alayha’s-salam [may peace be upon him/them/her], which is mentioned after the names of the prophets, angels, Imams from the Prophet’s progeny, and saints (‘a). [Trans.]

5. Sunni scholars quoted ImamJa‘far al-Sadiq (‘a), the sixth Imam from the Family of the Prophet [Ahl al-Bayt] (‘a) as saying: “We are the Cord of Allah about whom Allah has said: ‘Hold fast, all together, to Allah’s cord, and do not be divided [into sects]’ (Surah Al ‘Imran 3:103).” See Al-Tha‘labi, Tafsir al-Kabir, under commentary of verse 3:103; Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah (Cairo), Ch. 11, section 1, p. 233. [Trans.]

6. Surah Al ‘Imran 3:139. In this volume, the translation of Qur’anic passages is adapted from Sayyid ‘Ali Quli Qara’i, The Qur’an with a Phrase-by-Phrase English Translation (London: Islamic College for Advanced Studies Press, 2004). [Trans.]

7. Surah al-Qadr 97:1-5. [Trans.]

8. The abbreviation, “r” stands for the Arabic invocative phrase, rahmatullah ‘alayhi, rahmatullah ‘alayha, or rahmatullah ‘alayhim [may peace be upon him/her/them], which is used after the names of pious people. [Trans.]

9. Nahj al-Balaghah (The Peak of Eloquence) is a collection of speeches, sayings and letters of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (‘a) compiled by Sharif al-Radi Muhammad ibn al-Husayn (d. 406 AH/1016). The contents of the book concern the three essential topics of God, man and the universe, and include comments on scientific, literary, social, ethical, and political issues. With the exception of the words of the Glorious Qur’an and of the Holy Prophet (S), no words of man can equal it in eloquence. So far, more than 101 exegeses have been written on Nahj al-Balaghah, indicating the importance of this treatise to scholars and learned men of research and investigation. For more information, visit: https://www.al-islam.org/nahjul-balagha-part-1-sermons [Trans.]